


A Joining of Kingdoms

by Theclocksays7



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M, Natsu is a prince(ss), Other tags to be added, Secrets, Undercover, gray and lyon are brothers, grays going to remain a bit of a clueless boy for now, have fun, i just kinda threw this together, i love lyon, natsu as a girl but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-07 17:12:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13439445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theclocksays7/pseuds/Theclocksays7
Summary: Natsu of the Dragneel line is the Prince of Fiore, next in line for the throne- only, it doesn't feel like it. His dad leaves him out of political discussions and his cousin Laxus has been making a suspicious number of visits to their isolated castle atop the hill. Natsu finally realized why- he was never meant to inherit the crown.Forced to dress undercover as a princess and engaged to prince Gray of another country, Natsu struggles with the mannerisms, political strife, and ever-present fear of being found out- and what will happen when he finally falls in love with his Prince Charming.+++Gray Fullbuster has been the prince of Lavonia all his life. With his older brother Lyon being illegitimate, the burden of the crown falls on him. With it comes an immense responsibility, quite a bit of power, and an arranged marriage.Gray is not interested in marriage, and if he was, it certainly wouldn't be with someone he's never remembered meeting. But Natsu is different... There's something about her that isn't like other girls. While balancing his princely duties, Gray makes it his duty to find out precisely what that something is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am not aware of the status of the fairy tail fandom as I haven't been here in a while HOWEVER I found this relatively polished fic in my notes and I might as well publish what I have. Please leave reviews / comments so that I can improve my work ! This is also not checked over for grammar mistakes, so feel free to point those out as well.

_Pardon me, Your Highness, I don’t mean to intrude, but His Highness the King is requesting your immediate presence._  


_Hmm? Last I heard, His Highness was completing some work in his study._  


_Oh, and, Your Highness, please don’t dally. The King told me to tell you to- a cough- ‘make it snappy’._  


_That shitty old man,_ Natsu thought, strolling up and tugging on the large study doors, which were made of a rich wood found in the deep forest of their kingdom. He ignored the intricate detailing of the surface; when you are a prince, who lives in an exclusive castle on the top of a very grand and very boring hill, intricacy is commonpla ce.  


Once his cousin Laxus, a high-ranking duke (sharing the royal blood and all that,even a little bit, was enough to give one a position of power) who had come to the castle for an important business visit with the king concerning something or other wrong within the kingdom (even though he is a most dignified prince expected to one day exceed the current king for a position as leader in a very prominent and powerful country, nobody bothers to tell Natsu anything) had snorted, ‘Can’t have the prince going and getting all bored and causing mischief, pipsqueak’. Natsu supposed that was true. Natsu had explored every inch of the castle and the charm had clearly worn off as Natsu was both bored and a fan of causing mischief.  


_Summoning me in the middle of a training spar. This better be worth it._ Natsu stepped into the large room. He was immediately greeted with the smell of dusty old papers and ink as well as the sight of a middle-aged man with messy, fading red hair sitting at a desk. The red-haired man looked up as he walked in. A giant self-serving grin cracked his face in half as he stood up and moved away from the chair.  


“Old man,” Natsu bid sourly, foot tapping. He was all sweaty, and still in his training gear; loose pants and an tattered open-chested vest, as well as the white dragon-scale muffler that he’d worn as long as he remembered. The itch to hit something still lingered in his fists, making him restless. He wanted to return to his training already.  


The older redhead’s grin morphed into a mock-affronted frown, putting a hand to his chest as if something as simple as the words ‘old man’ could hurt him in any way. Natsu raised an eyebrow, encouraging him to get _on_ with it so that he could leave. “How rude. All I wanted to do was inform you of a very important development. Well, I say development, but really it’s been set in stone and you’re just now learning of it, I figured if I told you earlier you would run away or try to find some way out of it or-”  


Natsu held up a hand to halt his father’s rambling. He had an annoying feeling in his chest. He absolutely did not like the way things were going. “Get to it, old man.”  


An emotion came across the king’s face that was somewhat of a half-smile, half-grimace. “You’re engaged! Hoora-”  


Before the entire congratulatory phrase could make it’s way out of the redhead's mouth, a growl emitted from the prince’s mouth. He was dangerously calm as he spit the words out and the king braced himself for the worst. “What was that now.” Not a question. A statement.  


“You’re engaged.”  


“Are you kidding! Really, old man, at seventeen, without even having met her, you’re announcing engagement. Wait, you’ve known and you never said anything. For how long has this- wait, no. Who, exactly, is this girl i’m apparently engaged to?”  


“Haha, not a girl…” This came out as a mumble. The prince however, with his unnatural Dragneel senses, heard him quite fine.  


“What do you mean it’s not a girl?! You engaged me to what, some butler or something? A guy. Really. Me, a prince, marrying a guy-”  


“Not some butler, a prince,” the king interrupted, looking offended that he would let his son marry, as he put it, ‘some butler’. As if the guy part doesn’t matter at all. “Besides, he doesn’t know you’re a guy. They think you’re a girl, and it’s going to stay that way. This marriage could really-”  


Natsu looked as if his head would blow off if they continued with this ludicrous nonsense any longer. “You’re saying that you want me to marry a guy- a prince- and deceive him, saying that I’m a girl? No. I know you’re crazy, but not this crazy. It would never work because, as you clearly know, I am a guy, and therefore know absolutely nothing about being a girl. No way. Idea denied.”  


“Which is why you’ll be taking ‘Princess Etiquette 101’ until your eighteenth birthday, by then which you’ll be travelling to his castle in Lavonia Kingdom until your wedding.”  


“ARE YOU CRAZY-”  


“Listen, Natsu,” the king said, suddenly gaining an imposing presence as well as an intimidating seriousness, the likes of which Natsu had only seen precious few times in the past. He sobered up, despite his broiling anger. “This was a deal made by your mother and I with the king and queen of Lavonia before you were born. You know the history of our kingdom’s fighting. This was the only way to solve it. It’s only an obstacle that both of you were born boys. Since you’re a year younger, we have to be the ones who will take the risks. Peace has lasted almost 20 years. How do you think the kingdom would act if they found out the selfish actions of the crown prince has costed them a few more?”  


“You must have considered the chances of them finding out and waging war. They could even kill me if they found out I was betraying them. They would come after you, the kingdom. There’s no way I can-”  


The king’s eyes hardened. “Don’t you think I’ve thought long and hard about every single possibility? Do you think I would willy-nilly decide to send you off to some kingdom and possibly get you killed with a wave of my hand? You really think I’m the kind of person- no, king- no, father, that could do that?” Natsu was taken aback. He felt guilt of accusing his father in such a way. It must have shown somewhere- on his face, in his eyes- as the king softened and took a step closer to him. “I really do think this is the best idea.”  


Natsu breathed in, shutting his eyes. When they opened again, the dark onyx and gold color in his eyes- akin to his mother, many had told him- showed hardened resolve. The king’s breath was a little short. He squared his shoulders and set his head. “I acknowledge the information you have presented me, but I am still mad. Give me a day to think about it, and I will return to you with my final answer.” With that, Natsu turned on his heel and walked out of the study.  


The king returned to his seat with a sigh. How stubborn, he thought. How like his mother. The thought of the late queen brought pain to his chest. If she was here, she would know the right thing to do. He turned to gaze out the window, mood turning melancholic. Was he really doing the right thing?  


The king once again redirected his attention, returning to his work. He hadn’t seen Natsu think so hard and rationally about something for a long time. Whatever decision he came to, he would have to come to terms with it somehow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu thinks over his decision with a little help from his friends.

Natsu stomped through the castle, bristling with rage. He _really_ wanted to hit something now. His anger broiled through his veins just beneath the surface of his skin. His anger-induced absent-mindedness showed through when he bumped into something soft and hard at the same time. A yelp brought him out of his reverie. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking…” he mumbled. A petite-looking blonde lay on the ground, skirts spread and papers flown everywhere. Lucy. She and her cousin Loki were his very best friends- and advisors. He’d grown up with them. Maybe he should get their opinion on his very pressing problem 

“Natsu,” Lucy groaned, and attempted to corral her lost papers before they were stepped on or blown away. “It’s your fault, so help me out.” 

Natsu bent down to pick up the papers, hardly bothering to pay attention to how he was putting them back into a stack before handing them to Lucy. “Hey Lucy, I need your help.” 

The blonde, pouting, huffily looked at him. The look hardly lasted as she noticed the serious confliction evident on his face. “I’ll get Loke.” 

Some time later, they were sprawled on various furniture in Natsu’s bedroom. Various luncheon items were set out on the stout, wide table in the middle of the arrangement. Natsu had changed into some comfortable casual clothes and Loke, his orange-haired bodyguard with glasses, had made an appearance. As they snacked, Natsu had told them about his dire predicament. After laughing extremely hard for another bit of time, they were as pensive as he was. It was funny, but they were his precious friends and they cared about him. It was important they make the right decision. 

“The prince of Lavonia? They’re a very rich country. You would be very comfortable there. The prince, I hear, is very courteous. You’d want for nothing. I wish I got the chance to be a queen.” 

“But, Luce,” Natsu interjected quite seriously. “One thing is, it’s not about me. If it was I’d reject the proposal entirely and move on with my life. But war? I don’t want to be the one who breaks the peacetime for his country. The Dragneels have always been mighty rulers. I don’t want to let down my ancestors and my people.” 

“Natsu,” LokE said. “Would your people be happy to know you dressed up as a woman and went of to marry some prince to become queen and leave your own country king-less?” 

“The next in line is Laxus. He’d be a fine king, I think. But you’re right, it’s humiliating! How am I supposed to pass off as a pampered little princess? I was raised to be a king.” Even as he said that, Natsu had doubts. His father and family had done little to involve him in the political scene. He’d had many tutors and an extensive education, and he knew how to handle a country, just… it had always seemed as if no one had trusted him to run his own. Had everyone known? Had everyone been laughing behind his back at his attempts to be king? There goes Natsu, what a _princess. Him, run the country? Wow._ And Laxus was plenty prepared. He had been making many, many visits to the castle, and he was a hard worker- 

“If you want to act all pampered, just copy Lucy,” Loke snorted, stuffing a lunch sandwich in his face. “She’s an expert.” 

Natsu laughed as Lucy, with a red face, tossed a lounge pillow at him, sticking  out her tongue. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with appreciating a well-off life.” She turned to Natsu. “Do you not want marry him… because he’s a guy?” 

Natsu wrinkled his face in thought. “You fall in love with whoever, it doesn’t really matter, but… I’ll end up a queen if this ridiculous plan goes right. I always thought that I was going to be a king. And this guy probably thought he was going to marry a princess. Imagine if you were married to a boy and he ended up being a girl who was tricking you all along. Even if you loved each other, wouldn’t you feel betrayal? I wouldn’t want to rob him of the chance to fall in love with an actual girl.” 

“Just don’t fall in love with him, and don’t let him fall in love with you. Strictly business. Plenty of marriages are like that, right? Solve all your problems.” Lucy grabbed a lunch pastry from the tray and reclined in her seat. 

“But if we’re going to be married, shouldn’t we love each other?” Natsu asked. His mother and father had been in love. His father told him about their story whenever he found the time. Though no one could replace Natsu's mother in his life, the king knew he still had Natsu, and the kingdom, to take care of. If Natsu was going to get married, he wanted a love like theirs. He bristled as Lucy and Loke gave him matching looks of pity. 

Loke sighed wistfully. “Sure, that’d be great, Natsu, but not everyone who gets married are in love. Especially if you’re a prince, or a duke, or have any sort of familial obligation to hold up to." Loke looked lost in thought for a moment. Perhaps he had a love? With his daily pursuits of anyone in a skirt, Loke had probably encountered his first love already. Something Natsy could be jealous of, when he had the time to think about relationships. He'd never really thought of anyone that way, really. 

Loke looked up at Natsu, returning from Loke-land or whatever he was thinking about with yet another look of pity. "Really, Natsu, you’re so pure. What would you do if he wanted to.. do it?” 

Natsu was confused. “Do what?” 

Loke seemed mystified. “You know… have children? Heirs?” 

Natsu shrugged. “I don’t really see the problem. I love children.” 

Both Loke and Lucy seemed as if they’d fall out of their seats in exasperation. What seventeen year old boy manages to keep so pure? Maybe he really would be able to pull off being a princess. 

“Well, in all honesty, Natsu, we or anyone else can say whatever we want. In the end it all comes down to you- and what you decide is best. If you’re doing it for the country and the people, then do so. If you want say ‘screw off’ to your dad and elope with a sack of flour, that’s also an option. When your father gave you a day to decide, it meant he’d respect your decision no matter what you choose- though really, maybe you should decide off eloping with a bag of flour. We need that for cake and sweets after all.” 

Loke rolled his eyes at his sister, but he smiled at Natsu. “Honestly, Natsu. Do whatever. We’ll go wherever you want us.” Natsu smiled at his friends, glad for their council. 

Lucy jumped up as she looked out the window. The sun was beginning to drop in the sky, settling lower on the horizon and casting a warm orange glow over the gardens and yards of the hills. This was Natsu's favorite time of the day besides meal time. “Oh, look at the time- I have to finish delivering those papers to the apothecary! He was supposed to have them hours ago! I totally forgot!” Lucy hurried around to collect the papers and rushed off through the door with a faint ‘good luck with your boy problem!’ 

Natsu went a tiny bit pink in the cheeks. “It’s not a boy problem,” he mumbled to himself. 

Loke laughed. “Whatever you say, Your Highness. Listen I gotta go make sure Luce doesn’t make a fool of herself at the apothecary’s even more than she already has. You seem to be uncharacteristically thoughtful today, so take a good think on life while you’re at it.” 

“See you, Loke,” Natsu waved, sighing. 

“Good luck with your _boy problem,_ ” Loke smirked, chuckling at Natsu as he strolled leisurely through the doors of the prince’s private chambers and followed his cousin down the hall. 

"Lucy, watch that corner-" Natsu could hear a crash and a big sigh and chuckled to himself. 

Natsu managed to pull himself up and drag himself across the room and flopped on his luxury four-poster. He curled up in a ball and pulled the blankets over his head, like when he was younger and trying to hide. He groaned. He knew he should do it, but he just thought… that he really didn’t want to. To fool the prince. To pretend to be a girl. To go to some faraway country. To give up his claim to the throne. 

_Had it ever been his?_

But maybe it would be fine. Maybe the prince wouldn’t find out, and he would be kind, and he would get to finally be free of this castle he’d lived in his entire life, and experience a new country and get a feel for the world, and there would be peace for the people, and he would still be ruling, just in a different way.. 

Natsu didn’t go to dinner that day. Loke and Lucy had dropped by to give him something to eat, but he hadn’t been hungry, and they’d quickly left him alone after a quick hug each. He slept restlessly, if at all, thousands of images flashing through his mind, hundreds of different sceneries rocketing by. 

By the time morning came, and the sunlight drifted lazily through the heavy gilded drapes of Natsu’s chambers, he’d settled on an answer. His only hope was that it was the right one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this work !! As always, I appreciate comments and kudos. When I wrote this I thought it was Loki, but then I went through and changed it to Loke, but I might have missed some, so feel free to let me know this or anything else that catches your eye!
> 
> Next update slated for: Wednesday, January 24, 2018


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months later, Princess Natsu is readying to go on his big journey to his new country.

Months had gone by, and if he had anything to say about the tortuous times, Natsu had a newfound respect for princesses- not just princesses, but all ladies. The three months of etiquette classes he’d had to endure had been like torture. 

Etiquette, Natsu had learned, was largely an all-encompassing term. He’d had a class for every imaginable thing a princess should know. Some things he’d already learned as a prince, such as how to properly eat a meal, what silverware to use when, and all the academics. However, there seemed to be many, many things different between a prince and a princess. He was taught how to sit, when to smile, when not to, needlework, how to throw a gathering, what was alright to eat and what wasn’t, how to gossip and make lady-appropriate small talk, how to curtsy, how dance the woman’s part in every song he knew, how to wear a dress, women’s fashion, even anatomy classes. It was safe to say that they had sufficiently crammed his head and wasted no time. He would have nightmares for years. Natsu wouldn’t be able to forget the lessons even if he wanted to. 

Why were princesses all that different anyway? If Natsu could learn how to be one in the short span of three months, then clearly anyone could become a princess. All prim and proper… what was wrong with having a little fun every once in a while? Expectations were even stuffier than when he was a prince. 

Natsu’s eighteenth birthday had come and passed. He had officially become of marrying. Just a fortnight later, he was preparing for a journey leaving his home country of Fiore for his new ‘home country’, Lavonia. They’d have him wear a dress. Natsu’s wardrobe consisted of warm colors, silvers, golds, and blues. The tailors around the castle were having a field day making him an entire wardrobe for every occasion. Natsu had resigned to the dresses a long time ago. Wearing men’s clothing was blasphemous for a girl, though he didn’t understand why. Trousers were much more practical. His professors had almost had a heart attack at the idea. After that, he simply required for the dresses to allow as much mobility as possible. He'd even managed to get them to throw in some legged riding and training outfits. He had many light dresses, but as the weather in Lavonia could be rather cold, unlike Fiore, he’d had many thicker and heavier dresses as well. Did he mention he hated the cold? 

Another thing that sucked- he had and would have to take a potion every day that would soften his body and make it seem more lady-like. He’d hated it because he’d gotten almost an inch shorter. His limbs had thinned and shortened, and he might as well have lost his well-formed muscles. He’d been furious. he’d only just managed to convince his dad that he would still need to be able to defend himself, and even then he was hardly allowed to weight-lift. Stupid daintiness. As a result, he was very, very fast and had lightning reflexes. He’d been taught how to turn normal objects into weapons if need be. His fighting style had been changed from brute force into defense, agility, and making the enemy underestimate him. 

Natsu sighed as he triple-checked his bags. Loke and Lucy popped into his room while he was trying to find his third backup hairbrush (His hair had grown. It was still short, because he couldn’t stand it otherwise, but long enough to be reasonable.) They’d be accompanying him as his attendants. Laxus, his cousin and stand-in king, would also be making the journey with them and returning once he made sure that Natsu had made it safely. 

“Ready to go?” Lucy chirped. She had been very excited to make the trip since she’d found out that Natsu had decided to go through with the plan. The king had decided to let her go along, as well as Loke, to help keep Natsu in line with his secret. The less of the people in Lavonia’s castle who had to know, the better. They didn’t want some maid blabbing his secret and ruining their chances at success. 

Loke raised an eyebrow. “Sure you’ve got enough luggage?” he asked sarcastically. Natsu rolled his eyes and sighed. 

“It’s mostly clothes,” he said. “And gifts. Only one of these cases contains the things I would actually want to bring with me.” Out of the corner of his eye, Natsu spied Laxus near the carriage through the window and sighed again. He liked Laxus. He was extremely capable- probably much more than him- but he was still jealous that Laxus was to be taking his title. He’d been reduced to the second princess of Fiore, ‘hidden away for health reasons’. Fiore and Lavonia both were ‘glad she could overcome the health’ in order to make the trip before they were to be married in half a year or so. Since Natsu could be rash and thoughtless, they’d decided to just go by the name Natsu and hope no one noticed. The king had carefully avoided letting Natsu run about in the lower town at the bottom of the Hill, and he'd never sat for a portrait once in his life. If he hadn't had the grace of a million mirrors lining the halls of their palace, Natsu would have no idea what he looked like. 

“Well, we better get it over with,” Natsu said. He left the room as regally as he had been taught, making his way to the front and out of the castle. He greeted Laxus and the driver as footmen carried out his numerous bags from his room and placed them on the adjoining compartment. 

The king joined them at the side of the carriage. He smiled forlornly at Natsu. “Time to leave, huh?” 

Natsu rolled on the balls of his feet, feeling awkward. He’d never really left the castle before. Usually he was staying behind while everyone else made trips. He didn’t know what to say now that the one leaving was him. “I’ll try to, uh, visit.” 

“You make a pretty girl,” his father said. Natsu would have bristled if not for the next thing that came out of his father’s mouth. “She always wanted you to have a little sister. She would have laughed for years at the sight of you like this.” 

That wasn’t the direction Natsu thought the conversation would go in, but he’d take it. His memories of his mother were mostly vague, but they were warm and he could tell from both his memories and his dad’s tales that she was a kind and strong woman who loved them very much. “Well, it is a funny sort of situation.” He hugged his dad. “I’ll miss you.” 

“Likewise,” the king responded. “I’d tell you to write, but you’ll probably be too busy trying to convince this prince character that you’re really a princess.” 

Natsu smiled. “See you.” He turned and stepped into the carriage where Luce and Loke were waiting. Laxus chatted a quick note with the king before finally stepping into the carriage and closing the door. He’d join the protection knights accompanying the carriage by horseback once they passed the kingdom’s border into the neighboring country of Magnolia, through to Lavonia. He smirked at Natsu. “Ready, Princess?” 

Natsu rolled his eyes at his blonde cousin. Laxus was tall, broad, and had a lightning scar on his face. He was years older than Natsu, but he’d always managed to spend at least a little time with him every visit. “Not funny.” He reached over and closed the door to the modest-looking carriage and sat back into the rich fabric of the seat. The outside had to look like it belonged to a person with riches, but it couldn’t seem as if the Prince of the country was riding in it- especially since he was no longer a Prince. The king had arranged for it to be so in order to limit the possibility of an encounter. Not that they couldn’t deal with one- after all, Natsu had his refurbished fighting style, and Laxus and his team of loyal knights were accompanying them. 

Natsu gazed out the window as the coach rallied the horses and the carriage began to move. An odd sort of nostalgia rose in his throat. He guessed that was the kind of feeling you would get leaving the single place you called home for essentially the entirety of your life. Lucy’s excited chatter and Loke’s less excited responses next to him made some of the loneliness lessen, but the both of them had hardly ever left the castle on the top of the hill either. 

Natsu supposed it was just as much nausea as nostalgia. He was bad with vehicles. 

As the kingdom flew by through the window and the cousins chattered on, Natsu leaned his head on the window, hoping to fall into a light sleep. 

Maybe that way the journey would go by faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading the newest chapter of A Joining of Kingdoms! Sorry for the shortish chapter.. I do hope the next one will be a bit longer. As always, please don't hesitate to point out grammatical errors, mistakes, and tiny discrepancies (I think I accidentally referred to Lucy and Loke as siblings, so just tiny things like this, haha). Also, feel free to comment any opinions / predictions/ theories/ general ideas you have about this! I'd love to read them. Forgive me.. I see all of your comments, but I'm not sure how to respond ^^ maybe one day I'll get the courage to chat with you guys!
> 
> Sorry, enough of me rambling on! Until the next chapter :3c  
> Next update slated for: Friday, January 26, 2018


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu arrives in Lavonia.

“Oy, Sleeping Beauty, time to get up!”   

Strange. The fairy was tiny, so he’d been expecting a voice more elegant, like the twinkling of a child’s laughter or the bubbliness of a flowing stream. Instead, it sounded kind of like.. Laxus. 

“Oh Princess Natsu~!” Had that tree just spoke? He wasn’t sure he was fond of that teasing Lucy-like tone. 

“We’re here!” Natsu woke with a start and a sharp pain in his cheek. He took his hand away, the pink spot on his face smarting. 

“Did you just slap me?” Natsu looked at Loke in astonishment. He shivered, drawing the thick dress's sleeve down over his hands and balled them up in his fists. Usually he could handle the cold- his father liked to joke that they all had fire in their blood in the kingdom of Fiore- but he'd been caught unaware, and his feminine form felt the chill more easily. “Dragneel, it’s cold!” 

Laxus smirked at him from his position of horseback outside the carriage window. “We’ll be at the castle in about 5 minutes, _my Lady_. Maybe you’d like to freshen yourself up before we arrive?” 

Natsu scowled at his blonde cousin, but he was slightly glad- he’d slept almost the entire way in hopes of quelling his awful motion sickness and he didn’t look very well at all- in fact, he still felt queasy. However, he didn’t want to ruin this awfully impossible plan before they’d even had a chance to pull it off. Nobody would fall in love with an ugly princess, the tutors had said (Natsu found this ridiculous- who loves solely based on appearance? How shallow)  and they most certainly wouldn’t stick around when they found out that she had been an ugly boy all along, royalty or not. 

“Relax, Natsu, I’m sure you’ll be fine. Let me fix you up a little bit before we arrive, okay?” Lucy’s reassuring smile helped a little in easing his nerves. It was funny. He’d never really been all that nervous before. It was probably the all the girl hormones getting to him. 

Five minutes later, as Laxus had promised, the carriage had pulled up in front of tremendous marble castle. Blue stones infused with the building material and the seemingly delicate structure of the castle gave it an appearance of ice- fitting for the very cold temperature of the northern kingdom. However, history told a different tale- one of the most long-standing fortresses built to withstand many dangers, and succeeding. It was very large. Had Natsu not lived in one nearly as grand and luxurious for most of his life, he would have been more impressed. 

Lucy, on the other hand, had lots to marvel about. “Hey Natsu, do you think we’ll get large chambers? How do you think they decorate?” 

“Probably as coldly as their country,” Loke mumbled. He and Lucy were not accustomed to the cold temperatures of the North. Despite having been cold, Natsu had already began the process of getting used to the climate. He was surprised that Lucy hadn't exclaimed about the temperature, which was leaking in through the open carriage window. Maybe her sense of excitement outweighed that of need for warmth. That or her heavy layered clothes. He wondered how she could move at all. 

As agreed, not much of an entourage had been waiting to greet them. A Laxus went ahead to confirm their identity with the guard, the gates opened to reveal the Lavonian Royal Family and a couple of guards. The carriage pulled to a stop. 

Natsu’s nerves, however, were still running strong. 

Loke stepped out first, then assisted Lucy in stepping down. They moved aside and made room for Laxus to hold out a hand to Natsu. Natsu took in a deep breath. He could do this. He’d done months of training in order to be elegant and princess-like, and he wasn’t going to fail to impress at the first step. Laxus looked up and gave him a reassuring side grin- or a smirk, he was probably making fun of him. Either way, Natsu couldn’t delay their meeting any longer. He gently took Laxus’ hand, lifted the hem of his dress, and stepped down. He smoothed his skirts and stood up straight, bringing his gaze to meet those of the Royal Family. 

He almost fell down as he was tackled by a being slightly shorter than him. “Um-” 

The Queen of Lavonia looked up at his and took a step back, bringing a hand to her rounded face. Her dark hair was pulled back into an exquisite ringlet-like hairstyle, magnificent sapphire hair pins keeping the most of it in place. Her slightly wrinkled cobalt eyes shone with familiarity. “Oh, dear me, I apologize. I haven’t seen you since you were a little girl and you would come to visit with your mother, haha! You seemed to have settled down a bit since I last saw you, such a wild thing, oh dear. You’ve grown quite pretty over the years, almost a spitting image of-” 

The King stepped in, taking a subtle hold of his wife’s arm. His hair, originally grey, had begun to turn a little white under the brim of his crown, his mustache brimming with salt. His dark eyes normally filled with the authority needed to rule a Kingdom turned to Natsu as if he were already a part of his family. His dark coat shimmered with the many medals he’d won in his days. “Hoho, Princess Natsu, it is a pleasure to see you again. I apologize for my wife, you see, she’s been preparing for the idea of a daughter-in-law for a very long time, and I do believe she has just gotten a little over-excited. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” 

His wife chuckled. “Oh, it’s not only me, Natsu dear, the King here has even wore his best to impress you, haha!” 

The king blushed slightly, stroking his mustache. “Oh, Ul, you know…” 

Natsu, initially taken aback by having arrived in this new country, smiled kindly at the rulers. He recalled at their words all the times he had come for visits when he was younger, though they’d ceased upon the passing of his mother. And apparently they’d always known him as a girl- that Father of his, what a plotter. This deal seems to have been in the makings for quite a while. “The pleasure is all mine, to see you again. I do hope I’ll live up to all your expectations of me!” Slight giggle. Polite speech had been one of the first things that had been ingrained into his head as a part of training. He hoped he’d executed it well. 

A tall grey-headed person appeared beside the King and Queen. “Oh, Natsu, is that you? I haven’t seen you in years!” 

Natsu gasped in surprise, sending another warm smile. “Lyon, is that you? You’ve certainly grown into a fine lad, haven’t you?” 

Lyon chuckled. “I could say the same of you! A fine lady, you are. I remember when you used to play around with swords and weapons! I hope you’ve still got that feisty nature!” He took Natsu’s hand gently for a greeting. 

Natsu had to handle this well, and come off as a nice young lady in order to convince them- not that they seemed to need much convincing. “Well, not so much with the weapons, though I can throw a mean tea party- and I could probably still handle myself in a fight against you!” 

Lyon smiled in return. “I might have to take you up on that offer sometime.” 

The Queen, Ul, spoke up from beside her husband. “Oh, now where is that Gray? I’m terribly sorry, Natsu dear, that he isn’t here to great you.” The Queen’s gentle eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Honey, you did tell Gray that Natsu was arriving today, didn’t you?” 

The King’s eyes widened sheepishly for a moment, as if he couldn’t recall whether or not he had performed the task that had been asked of him. Then his stance become slightly affronted, and he pouted his face at his wife. “Of course, my dear. I take my responsibilities very seriously.” 

Lyon looked as if he knew something about it, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he looked anywhere but at the two. Ul’s eyes shifted again and she was about to interrogate him when Laxus interrupted with a small cough. Natsu moved aside to let him present himself. 

Laxus bowed grandly towards the two. “Hello,” Laxus greeted in his rumbly voice, extending a hand for the king to shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesties. I don’t think we’ve met. I am Laxus Dreyar, Natsu’s cousin.” 

“Oh, yes,” the king replied, grabbing Laxus’ hand and giving it a hearty yet firm shake. “The pleasure is all ours.” 

The queen nodded as she extended her hand, which Laxus took gently. He kissed the air above the back of her hand with a flourish. “Lovely to meet you as well,” she said, lips curving up in an appreciative smile. Natsu struggled to avoid rolling his eyes. Laxus hadn’t always been a charmer. He’d been quite the stand-offish, rebellious teen once. 

Laxus bowed once more. “It was my duty to escort the princess and it seems we have arrived safely in your hands. It was a bit of a journey, however, and if it is alright with you, it seems our horses and men need a bit of rest before we head back on our way.” 

The King nodded sagely. Natsu figured this was what is was like, being the ruler of a kingdom. Always so posh, proper, and political. “Of course. Our boys can take care of your horses right in our stable. As for your men, would you like to stay for dinner?” 

“We have a great feast lined up for tomorrow’s eve in honor of our new guest, but I’m sure the cooks can whip up something to eat before you head on your way.” 

Laxus, after appearing to consider the situation, smiled. “If you don’t mind terribly much, I’m sure my men will be glad to take you up on that offer.” Lucy stepped up next to Natsu, who hadn’t a chance to join in on the conversation. Princesses usually didn’t talk about these things, the tutor had said. If Natsu was going to be a queen, he wanted to rule like Lyon’s mother Ul did, with a presence not to be ignored, an actual say in things. He hoped that his arranged partner wouldn’t be against him helping out. 

Natsu could see that the cold was finally seeping into Lucy’s clothes as she shivered at his side. “Excuse me,” he said. “I don’t mean to interrupt, my handmaiden seems to be catching a bit of Lavonia’s cold. Would it be alright if we could step inside?” 

The king and queen looked ashamed at this suggestion. Perhaps they were so used to the cold that it didn’t occur to them that their warm-origined friends wouldn’t be so accustomed to their low temperatures. “Of course, my dears,” Ul said, ushering them into the castle with haste. “Let’s get you something warm to drink and get settled into our rooms, shall we?” 

“Very kind of you, Your Majesty,” Lucy nodded, grateful to get out of the cold. 

Natsu looked over his shoulder at Loke, who was stuck with Laxus looking out of place already. Nastu felt bad. He was glad to have as many friends as possible there, especially one as close as Loke, but was this really what was best for him? “Loke,” he called, letting Lucy and Ul usher in ahead of him for a moment. “If you wouldn’t mind grabbing my bags, please meet us for tea!” 

Loke grinned at him, glad to be given a task. “Yes, my Lady,” he called back, hopping into the carriage in order to grab Natsu’s luggage. 

Natsu gave a small smile and a low sigh. They had hardly been there at all and already it was a bit exhausting. 

“Natsu, you’ll get sick in the cold! Hurry up!” Lucy called from the courtyard. 

“I’m coming!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a day later than slated! I fell asleep and it was really late, and then my computer died and wiped part of the chapter :/ anyway, thank you for reading the next chapter of A Joining of Kingdoms! I was a little quick to update with these four chapters that were already written and I got too distracted by sense8 to write much more, so the next chapter is a bit of a ways away. Hopefully this longer-ish chapter makes up for it a little bit? And as always, leave a comment down below telling me thoughts / opinions / grammar-related issues, and see you next update!
> 
> Next update slated for: Sunday, February 4, 2018

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on my Tumblr @ jellied0ctopus or my convienient sideblog @ cableknitcashmere ♡♡♡


End file.
